By Michael Ainomugisha
Uganda Christian University (UCU) is set for the Brasília 2025 International University Sports Federation (FISU) University World Cup 3×3 Basketball from November 14-16, 2025, after previously representing African universities at the World Cup in 2022 in Turkey and 2024 in Xiamen, China. The 2025 edition in Brazil marks UCU’s third consecutive appearance at the FISU 3×3 University World Cup, an achievement that continues to underline the university’s dominance in university basketball on the continent.
At the tournament, the UCU Lady Canons will be represented by Shillah Lamunu Aber, Tracy Namugosa, Sylvia Nantongo, and Martina Anyango, with Namugosa serving as captain. The UCU Canons, on the other hand, will feature Joel Kayiira, Flore Dushime, Daniel Muganzi, and Harold Ariho Amara.
Both Kayiira and Namugosa will be playing their second World Cup, having featured in last year’s edition in Xiamen, China.
To qualify for the tournament, both the UCU Lady Canons and Canons defeated the United States International University-Africa (USIU) in a qualifying tournament hosted by Makerere University at HAMZ Stadium, Nakivubo, earlier this year, and USIU qualified for the World Cup as runners-up.
Coach Nicholas Natuhereza, who heads both teams, highlighted the team’s preparation and readiness to participate in the 3×3 FISU World Cup.
“The team has been training, and we have not experienced any problems like injuries during these preparations. We are ready for the World Cup, where we will be competing with the best as African champions and representatives,” he stated.
Team captain for the UCU Canons, Daniel Muganzi, shared his excitement and motivation ahead of the games.
“We are actually expecting a higher level of competition. So, for these remaining three weeks that we have been preparing, we’ve been working with Coach Nick as the head coach for the team and Coach Kiguyi,” he said.
“For me, this is a big opportunity, and it was my prayer that I make the team, and I did. Helping UCU qualify was one of my biggest achievements this year. It feels good to represent the university and UCU in general because it has always been one of my dreams to play for the club and the university. So, I feel like it’s a big opportunity and a big chance for me to represent Africa and UCU,” he added.
At the tournament, both UCU Lady Canons and UCU Canons have been drawn into challenging pools. The UCU Lady Canons are placed in Pool A alongside the University of Chile from Chile and the University of Seville from Spain, while on the men’s side, the UCU Canons are in Pool D, where they will face the University of Puerto Rico from Puerto Rico and Huaqiao University from China.
Meanwhile, both the UCU Canons and Lady Canons finished third in their respective National Basketball League (NBL) seasons after strong playoff campaigns. The UCU Canons defeated Sommet Basketball Club 70–60 in the third-place playoff on Tuesday, 7 October, at Lugogo Arena, while the UCU Lady Canons overcame their opponents 69–55 to claim third place in the women’s category.
Despite narrowly missing out on the finals that was won by JKL Lady Dolphins, several UCU players were recognised for their outstanding performances throughout the season. Hajara Najjuko was named Best Three-Point Shooter, NBL Women 2025; Lamunu was selected as Shooting Guard in the NBL Women’s Team of the Season; and Kayiira was honoured as Centre in the NBL Men’s Team of the Season.
